Sales funnel content is at the core of every successful marketing strategy. It is defined as the stages that your consumer moves through in their buying journey. It begins with consumers getting to know your brand. Then they turn into leads, and when successful, they are converted into a loyal customer.
Why the Sales Funnel Is So Important
Overall, the sales funnel is important because it is the primary tool for informing businesses on what marketing materials are needed at what time to properly facilitate relationships and sales.
Consider: someone just learning about your product will be turned off by a direct sales pitch; while someone at the cusp of a purchasing decision won’t find much help from a broad company overview video. The sales funnel helps you avoid targeting the wrong content to the wrong consumer at the wrong time.
Writing for the Sales Funnel 101
Creating content through the sales funnel is a must; 47% of buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before even communicating with a sales rep. The tone, word choice, and techniques used in your content’s writing should always be tailored to fit your consumer’s needs and goals of their place in the journey.
To learn more, here are the 3 major stages of a typical sales funnel and coinciding sales funnel content tips:
1. The Awareness Phase: TOFU
Consumers aren’t yet aware of the features that define your brand and are just coming in contact with what you have to offer. They themselves are just beginning to gain insight into the pain-points that need solving in their lives, and are on the lookout for a brand to help.
Writing and content ideas to help consumers in this stage include:
- Building Credibility: To grab a consumer’s attention for the first time, it is important to focus on writing content that establishes yourself as an authority and displays your expertise in your industry. This might take the form of longer blog posts, ebooks, or a social media post.
- Showcasing Your Brand Voice: Since the first stage is all about consumers getting to know who you are, use a brand voice throughout your copywriting that is authentic and consistent with your unique way of storytelling. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine.
2. The Consideration Phase: MOFU
Consumers have a clearer picture of what solution they desire from a brand; they are usually weighing your business against multiple options. They are diving deeper into researching and are seeking out more resources to help them make a decision.
Writing and content ideas to help consumers in this stage include:
- Product-Centered Content: You still don’t want to shove a sales pitch down consumer’s throats quite yet. But in this stage, you can get a little more in-depth with the benefits and features of your product. This might entail a case study that explains how your product helped another business solve a problem, or a how-to guide that walks them through how your product works. Or perhaps even crafting a FAQ page that answers common questions regarding your solutions.
3. The Decision Phase: BOFU
At the bottom of the funnel, consumers have more information to make a strategic purchasing decision. And they are considerably higher quality leads. They need a final push and motivation to be reminded of why your brand is the best option for them over competitors.
Writing and content ideas to help consumers in this stage include:
- Calls-to-action: CTAs are writing tools that help consumers to take action (ex. Sign up today). CTAs that effectively motivate consumers to sign up for free trials, get a discount code, or purchase your product will work wonders in boosting sales and converting your leads.
- Establishing Social Proof: At the cusp of a purchasing point, showcasing happy customers on your website and marketing materials, especially those with direct quotes or testimonials, might just be the proof they need to pull the trigger.
Convert Leads Fast
As business owners or marketing professionals, it is your job to strategically target content for each stage of the funnel. This helps guide consumers through, not lead them astray. Though converting your leads is a difficult feat, a solid writing strategy in place is guaranteed to bring you closer to this goal.
